Cocktail
by LadyKnightOfHollyrose
Summary: All he’d wanted was a mug of his favourite coffee. Was that so much to ask for? AU SasuHina
1. Prologue: Black Coffee

_**Cocktail**_

_**Summary:**_ All he'd wanted was a mug of his favourite coffee. Was that so much to ask for? AU SasuHina

_**Disclaimer:**_ I don't own Naruto. Woe.

_Black Coffee_

Sinking into her seat, she took a small sip from the mug and let out a contented sigh. Setting it down on the table, she took the opportunity to scan her surroundings as she dug through her bag.

Although she'd only been coming to "Satoshi and Arisa's Coffee House" for three weeks, this was the busiest she'd ever seen it. She'd been so relieved to see that her usual spot near the corner (close enough to the window to look outside, yet still veiled from passing, gawking eyes) remained unoccupied that she'd rushed to the table forgetting that she still held a very full, steaming cup. It was a miracle that she hadn't spilled anything!

After retrieving her desired supplies, she let them rest precariously on her lap before indulging herself to some more of her beverage.

Inhaling its invigorating scent, she set it aside once more and turned to her laps contents.

Most of it joined the mug on the table; only a sketchbook and pencil remained.

With the utmost care she prised her beloved book open to look at one of her earlier works; a self-portrait. She had sketched it about six months ago though most of the details were still accurate regardless of the passage of time.

Her pearly eyes were striking, able to showcase tints of the entire rainbow given the correct lighting, holding great kindness within their depths yet also a determined sheen that made them glitter – despite her gentle demeanour she was not one to be toyed with.

On anyone else her pale complexion would look unhealthy, but the (semi-permanent) slight flush that adorned her cheeks brought it to life; delicate yet refined.

Flowing midnight blue locks cascaded down her back to contrast with her other features, a small fringe framing her eyes perfectly.

Presently Hinata tried to refrain from biting the end of her pencil as she analysed her work… it could be improved; the shading on the material of her top was slightly off and her hair was drawn in clumps rather than strands – to the untrained eye they would seem like characteristics hardly worth correcting but to _her_ it mattered a great deal.

Turning to a new page, she gulped down more of her drink. Dark, warm and bitter; each mouthful left her feeling refreshed. The strong taste lingered in her mouth leaving her savouring the flavour and wanting more. Black coffee: it was Hinata's anti-drug.

Steeling herself not to down the rest of her addiction, she put her pencil to the edge of her lip in speculation. What to draw, what to draw?

Somewhere above her, someone cleared their throat. To say that Hinata jumped would be an understatement. Looking up apologetically, she met the obsidian glare of a disapproving young man. His raven hair stood up at angles yet still surrounded his pale face. He held a frothy mug of his own and it seemed as though his patience was waning.

"U-uh, can I help you?" she was still shaken by the interruption of her thoughts and couldn't help but ponder the reason.

The man raked a hand through his hair and a grimace set itself upon his lips.

"My usual table's been taken and there aren't any other free ones."

Hinata blinked and waited for him to continue.

When he did so, it was with a sigh and said slowly "May I take this seat?"

Realisation dawned on her and she felt like banging her head against the table – she could be so simple-minded sometimes!

Shrugging, she said "Go ahead" before turning back to her blank page and trying not to chew her pencil in thought.

What should she draw?

Glancing back up at the man (who had taken the seat in front of her and was staring intently at his notebook, twirling his pen between his fingers in deep speculation) she smiled.

_Perfect._

__

-Hollyrose-

**A/N:** I've had this chapter written for quite a long time, but couldn't post it because I was having trouble thinking of a collective title. Then my Dad thought of "Cocktail" :D It may not make much sense yet (along with the summary which will be expanded on in the next chapter) but hopefully it will soon...

If you like AUs as much as I do, please take a look at my C2 community "Parallel Worlds".

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you next chapter.  
Reviews would be appreciated!


	2. Caffe Latte

_**Cocktail**_

_**Summary:**_ All he'd wanted was a mug of his favourite coffee. Was that so much to ask for? AU SasuHina

_**Disclaimer:**_ I _still_ don't own Naruto. Woe.

_Caffe Latte_

As he entered his haunt, he scanned the room.

Oh great.

It seemed that everybody was intent on irritating him in some way; the coffee shop was packed and as far as he could see, **his** table had been stolen.

Under normal circumstances he would have sent the occupants scurrying, scaring them away. Unfortunately, he realised as he joined the back of the queue, the 'Table-thieves' (as he had dubbed them) were the type of people who would describe a 'frigid' glare of his as 'smouldering' or something equally ridiculous.

Scoffing at the strange mentality, he moved forwards, barely glancing at the huge menu overhead before placing his order.

It didn't matter anyway. He knew exactly what he wanted.

The girl at the till almost dropped his money and flushed when it fell into her grasp. Her orange hair was in two gravity defying bunches that seemed to become even more erect if possible, and she mumbled something inaudible before shoving a receipt at him.

He grasped the corner to avoid skin contact and proceeded to the counter to collect his reason for living. His weekly visit to 'Satoshi and Arisa's' was the only thing currently keeping him sane.

Approaching it, he could already see the back of a curly black haired woman's head bobbing as she did her work, moving up and down the counter adding 'a little of this' and 'just a tad of that' to her concoctions.

She turned and tossed him a grin when she spotted him, shattering the deceptive image of her being a wicked witch creating a potion. Her lively green eyes glittered as she pushed a brimming mug towards him. Usually, they may have exchanged a word or two but since it was clear that Arisa really had her hands rather full, he settled for giving her a quick nod before beginning his quest for a seat.

Sweeping the room with his eyes once again, he tried to locate any spare spaces.

The only problem was that most were in the midst of girls who may (ok, would most definitely, without an ounce of doubt) give him a hard time by giving him attention in a manner that he most certainly didn't want. Already he was on the receiving end of many appreciative glances and stares, and he hadn't even sat down yet.

Ah. There.

He spotted a bowed head next to a table with an unoccupied chair. Hunched over some kind of book, the person was completely engrossed in their work. If the petite stature was anything to go by, she was of the female population, though long, deep blue locks veiled her face from view.

The only time she seemed to resurface from her book or thoughts was when taking a sip from her mug.

Gripping his own mug, he strode over to the table. If the woman already had something to do, chances were that he would be pestered for at least half the amount of time than he would if he sat at any other table. Plus, he had his own tasks to complete whilst here.

Now, even though he wasn't too keen on people in general he was still polite (in his own cold, curt way). He wasn't just going to grab the chair and dump himself onto it (no matter how much he felt like doing so).

He hovered above the blue-haired woman's chair, waiting to be noticed. Generally, that didn't take too long. If the person in question wasn't already aware of his presence, the number of stares directed at him usually caught the person's attention.

It didn't occur to Sasuke that his well thought out plan might come to a grinding halt due to some aspects of it going too well.

Sasuke almost became curious enough to lean over the woman to get a peek at the book that so held her attention, but refrained from doing so when the smell of pure bliss wafted to his nose. Reminded of why he was there, he cleared his throat in an attempt to draw _her_ curiosity.

She jumped about a foot in the air at the intrusion.

Although he didn't like the shadow of stares that stalked him, Sasuke was not used to going completely unnoticed.

Turning her head up to face him, he let his eyes bore into her own. He was surprised to see shimmering orbs like mother-of-pearl, though he didn't let this show. She sent him a silent apology and enquired;

"U-uh, can I help you?"

He ran a hand through his hair. He didn't like having to ask for things. At all.

His lips thinned a little.

Maybe he could avoid asking all together…

"My usual table's been taken and there aren't any free ones."

There. Why _ask_ when you could _imply_?

He waited for a response but all he received was a blank look and a blink.

Sighing, Sasuke almost closed his eyes in despair.

Wonderful. _Just _wonderful.

"May I take this seat?"

Each word was uttered as though to a simpleton, enunciated and prolonged (his temper making him patronising).

Her eyes grew wide as she realised the initial hint that she'd been given, but quickly tried to regain her composure, shrugging and muttering "Go ahead" before focusing on her book again.

Sinking into the seat, he considered her reaction to his sudden imposition. She _had_ stared; though I was out of surprise rather than awe, and once she'd (finally) figured out what his request was, she had casually agreed without squealing or gushing.

And then she had simply continued with what she was doing without giving him a second glance.

Bringing his mug to his lips, he smirked.

_Mission Complete_.

Warmth flooded his veins as he tipped more of the substance into his mouth, careful to avoid any froth that may embarrass him later on.

A feeling of calm stole over him, a feeling that he rarely allowed to take over.

Savouring the taste, he was pleased to detect the hint of almond that he had requested. This was as close to content that he ever got.

Reaching into his jacket pocket he withdrew a spiral bound notepad and biro.

Quickly scanning the final paragraph on the last used page he twirled his pen between his fingers in contemplation.

So this was it, the last chapter of the last book in his highly acclaimed trilogy. His deadline was the following Wednesday, giving him just under a week to complete and deliver the last five hundred pages of his novel. Still, he'd prefer to have the task finished in advance so that his work was not rushed and he was guaranteed enough time to proofread his work for errors before surrendering it to his editor.

Another reason to wrap up this particular project speedily (apart from the sense of fulfilment reaped when putting to paper his newly formed ideas for his next venture) was the incentive of returning to his former colleagues. One in particular seemed to enjoy hounding him; he insisted on trying to bodily drag Sasuke back to the place. However, Sasuke would not allow him the satisfaction of forcing him back. He would return only when he was good and ready.

Pen poised, he scrawled down a few lines before reviewing his handiwork whilst rewarding himself with another taste of heaven. He then added any necessary changes before allowing the cycle to continue.

Had he been anyone other than himself, he would have been startled by the sudden presence behind him. At present, he only glanced over his shoulder to confirm his suspicions, only to return to his scribbles once more.

Smiling slightly, Arisa jovially enquired, "Is your Latte okay, Uchiha-san? Moegi over there -," she pointed at the girl behind the till with the gravity defying hair, "- is a new recruit. Not familiar with our regular customers yet."

Without wavering his concentration, he muttered "It was good."  
Aware that she was moving away again, he checked his watch. Then his progress.  
Another 90 minutes should do the trick.

Arisa seemed to return and Sasuke looked up to see what on earth she could possibly want now – although she wasn't quite as irritating as other women, it annoyed him that she might disturb him again whilst working.

Instead of hovering by his chair, however, the mistress of all things of caffeine glided past him to greet the table's other occupant.

"Hyuuga-san, thank you so much for the artwork; Satoshi adores it too (though him being him, he just shows it by fussing over where to put it)."

Sasuke looked up discreetly, trying to fathom the conversation.  
The woman opposite him, this Hyuuga-san, had turned crimson from the praise as she tried not to stammer, "N-not at all, Tsukino-san. It's the least I could do…"

"Hyuuga-san, please. Call me Arisa. I mean, there are _two_ Tsukino's here y'know, and it's not as though you don't _know_ my name. Speaking of which, shall I call Satoshi out so that you can say Hi?"

"No, no Arisa-san. I wouldn't want to disturb him…"

There were a few minutes of silence and Sasuke had resumed his notes again when Arisa spoke once more.

"What have you got there, Hyuuga-san?"

Sasuke glanced up just in time to see pale eyes widen in panic a she tried to shield her work (now Sasuke that the book was actually a delicately bound sketchpad) from the sharp gaze of Arisa.

"Oh this? It's n-nothing. And if I am to call you by your first name you must also return me the favour."

"Right, right…" Never the less, her efforts to distract her proved to be futile as Arisa leaned over and stared at the page that Miss Blue-Hair had been trying so desperately to conceal.

No one spoke for a moment.

And then…

"Hinata-san, that's amazing!" The sincerity in her voice revealed that it was not just an empty compliment. Hyuuga turned, if possible, an even deeper shade of red hearing this, and stuttered her thanks.

Finally Arisa left to attend to other customers, but not before forcing a vow out of the lady to be shown the finished piece.

At long last she was left in peace. It seemed as though she was trying to drown her flushed face in her mug as she swallowed its contents.

The scene no longer held Sasuke's interest so he turned his attention back to his own task. Another gulp of his beverage and he was, once again, scribbling away.

He was so absorbed that he was only vaguely aware of his surroundings.

He didn't notice the lady drain her mug, nor did he notice the weary glance she sent her mobile phone. He heard the soft click of her bag as she stowed away her belongings and the sound of her feet padding away towards the door.

As he emptied his own mug, the only thought that he spared her was 'At least she didn't bother me.'

-Hollyrose-

**_A/N:_** I can't believe that college has started already! Anyway, hope you liked this chapter: Let me know what you think :3


	3. Tea

_**Cocktail**_

_**Summary:**_ All he'd wanted was a mug of his favourite coffee. Was that so much to ask for? AU SasuHina

_**Disclaimer:**_ I have a feeling I'll never own Naruto…

_Tea_

-Knock- -Knock-  
"Hinata-san?"  
Hinata looked up to see a familiar shadow outlined in the frosted glass of her office's door.  
"Yes?" She called gently.  
The door slid open a fraction.  
"If it's not too much trouble, I have some matters that need to be discussed."  
Hinata looked at her younger sister and wished, not for the first time, that such formality was not necessary.  
"Not at all, Hanabi-san. Please, take a seat."  
Hanabi edged in, careful not to spill the contents of her full hands as she shut the door behind her. Setting down a small stack of papers and two mugs, she lowered herself onto the chair opposite Hinata.

"I took the liberty of bringing you some tea. Now, for me, I thought I'd be slightly outlandish and go for the more dangerous _coffee_. You should have heard the room gasp as I broke tradition (yet again); why, it still rings in my ears even now!"  
Trying to fend off the surge of giggles that threatened to consume her, Hinata found that the task alone took so much of her concentration that she couldn't bring herself to scold her sibling.

As it was, she gratefully accepted the mug and settled for remarking, "The way that you always make sure to shut the door when you visit me (whilst you purposefully neglect to do so elsewhere) might make them aware that you aren't exactly sitting in here paying them all compliments."

Hanabi shrugged.  
Whilst she did not openly poke fun at others she _did_ have a tendency to subtly annoy her co-workers.

It didn't help (them, at least – it worked very much in Hanabi's favour) that the vast majority of the company was made of the Hyuuga. A very conservative family, they preferred to address people by their surnames. However, being a family business and having the majority of the company's employees being of the Hyuuga family it become obvious quite quickly that this method would cause problems. Thus, a first-name basis system was established, with honorifics mandatory (although rather reluctantly).  
Even so, it was inside both Hinata's and Hanabi's office that many similar rules were broken (though how one could enforce a 'don't ignore honorifics rule' was beyond either of them). Often.

"So what brings you to my humble abode, dear sister of mine?"

"Dear sister? Why, I am honoured! Anyway", her tone became more serious as she paused for a moment, twisting slightly in her chair to check that the door was definitely shut. It was. "Can you remember Ureshino-san?"  
Hinata nodded uncertainly. The Ureshino family owned a chain of small restaurants and even took care if the catering for Hyuuga Enterprise's offices. They were kind people and Hinata spoke to them on behalf of the company often, and also enjoyed a casual chat when time permitted.  
But why on earth would Hanabi fear eavesdropping when talking about _them_?

"They were asking about a certain painting in the lobby, and asked who they might contact for a similar piece."  
Hinata's eyes widened.  
"What did _you_ say?"  
"Oh, the same that I told father." She rolled her eyes and recited, "That it was by a friend of mine from college and that as a matter of fact, she _is_ taking commissions. They gave me the specification since I told them that I'd get in touch and see if I could get them a discount."

Briefly looking through the pile of paper that she had dumped onto the desk, she pulled out a sheet of paper and slid it over to Hinata.  
As Hinata looked it over, Hanabi chimed in "Finish date?" before sipping her coffee.

"In two weeks time I think. It should take less than that but just in case…" Her lips quirked up in a small smile. "I certainly admire their imagination though."

Hanabi looked up from the file that she had been surveying in surprise. Looking at the younger woman's quizzical expression Hinata enquired, "You didn't take a look?"  
Hanabi shook her head slowly.  
"I just assumed that it would be similar to the other one. Can I have a look?"  
This time it was Hinata who shook her head.  
"Wait and see."  
The pout that she was rewarded with reminded Hinata of when her sister was only three; pouting because her ice-cream cone had been knocked from her tiny hands – she couldn't stop the chuckle that erupted from within her.

Hanabi looked at her sourly.  
"Is that everything?"  
"You wish."  
-Sigh –

x X x

Banging open the door, he unceremoniously slumped into the chair, not particularly caring what sort of response his behaviour might provoke.

The great chair tucked behind the desk opposite him turned slowly.  
He couldn't help but think, 'I may as well be in a clichéd gangster movie' as the chair's occupant was revealed.

"Sasuke-kun…"

It took an awful lot of self control to keep his face from contorting in disgust; not only to the use of the honorific attached to his name, but also at the man who had uttered it.

Whilst Sasuke's skin was pale, the other's seemed to be tinged grey. From the edges of the man's black irises crept a dull yellow; they almost seemed to glow. Naturally outlined in black were they, giving him an almost ethereal form, though not in the sense that a dragon inspired awe or a phoenix sparked wonder.  
His appearance was enough to scare away young children and send shivers up the spine of some adults too.

He just didn't look _human_.

And now that Sasuke thought about it, he didn't _act_ entirely human either.

Again the man spoke; "Am I right in assuming that this is not merely a social visit? Though I certainly wouldn't refuse you, I have a feeling that you are here strictly on business."

The man idly took hold of a strand of his long, dark hair.

Steeling himself, Sasuke muttered "I have come with the final instalment."  
His speech was stiff. Well, stiffer than it generally was.  
Inwardly Sasuke marvelled at the fact that he sometimes needed to waste the most breath talking to the people that he resented so.  
'Not for much longer though.'

"What was the rush?" the man wanted to know. "You're deadline is still a ways away. Ah, but you always _were_ diligent with your work…"  
He paused, seemingly in wait for a response of some kind. He got none.  
"Well", he continued, "I look forward to discussing your next venture."

Leaning forwards he extended an arm fluidly and Sasuke passed over the envelope compliantly. As soon as it left his hands, however, he was on his feet. He nodded once, murmuring "Orochimaru" before excusing himself.

Even resurfacing to a refuse site would have been a welcome burst of fresh air having escaped that dank room.

-Hollyrose-

**_AN:_** I've been back through this chapter and the formatting should be better now, making it a bit easier to read. Thanks to _Melodramatic Writer_ and _AestheticPhobia_ for pointing out that it needed to be looked over again; sorry, I'll try not to be so careless again.

Not much in terms of SasuHina interaction in this chapter, but I'm trying to make sure I don't rush into things...

Let me know of any ways in which I can improve. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	4. Soup

_**Cocktail**_

_**Summary:**_ All he'd wanted was a mug of his favourite coffee. Was that so much to ask for? AU SasuHina

_**Disclaimer:**_ If I owned Naruto, SasuHina would be canon.

_Soup_

Struggling slightly, Hinata nudged the door open with her hip as she juggled an A3 sketchpad and her bag in an attempt to keep hold of both.  
Edging inside, she was glad that most seemed too caught up in their own affairs to notice her less-than-graceful entrance and suppressed the urge to just dump her belongings on the floor. She still had to place her order, after all.

Taking her place at the tail of the average sized queue Hinata shoved the large book under one arm and rooted around for her wallet in the depths of her bag, keeping her other hand fully occupied as well.  
And of course, her mind was already wandering in the direction of paradise as the anticipation of her weekly treat set her nerves buzzing; after a hard week of deadlines and all-nighters the only thought that had kept Hinata both sane and conscious through the tedious meeting with the company's board of directors (or basically, all of the Hyuuga elders) just that morning was the incentive of a dose of her favourite coffee from her favourite place.

Giving the perky red head from last week her order, she refrained from tapping the work surface in impatience with her fingers. Just having to do so told her just how much she needed a day off – at work she was known for both her shyness (though it was less prominent than it had been when she'd first started) and also her boundless patience.

Settling in her usual spot, Hinata eased into a chair. Dropping her belongings, she clasped her mug and brought it to her lips.  
Feeling the warm, bitter, yet not unwelcome liquid slide down her throat she felt her mind's activity simmer down. Tensed muscles unconsciously relaxed as she savoured the taste.

As she fumbled with her larger-than-usual sketchpad, settling it against her knees, Hinata muttered to herself how silly it was that she'd become dependant on a _beverage_ of all things.  
Her nimble fingers flicked through the book until she reached her desired page. Gazing critically at the light pencil strokes that grazed the page, she took out a blunter pencil from her bag, allowing its end to rest against her lip pensively.

x X x

Sasuke couldn't help but pull a face (a scowl to be precise) when he noticed that for the second week in a row _his_ table had been taken.  
Some gaggling teenage girls were pouring over a magazine and from the rate at which they sipped from their mugs, he could tell that they were not going to be moving any time soon either. Grabbing his latte from the counter, he glanced over his surroundings.

The coffee house wasn't as busy as it had been the previous Thursday, but with customers scattered about at one to two per table, none were left vacant.

Finally his eyes settled on the table that he'd hijacked last week; again Miss Blue Hair was hunched over a sketchpad, though now it had doubled in size.

As he approached, he thought out a strategy. Again, he really didn't particularly feel like _asking_ if he could join her – she might get the wrong idea and think that he was sitting there by _choice_. Which, of course, he wasn't.  
Arriving, he placed his mug on the table and waited a few moments. If she had a problem with him taking the seat she could tell him to "Get lost". As it was, she just looked up. Like in their last encounter she had jumped, though not as violently as she had before. Then she gave him a small smile of acknowledgement and maybe recognition before she turned back to her enormous book.

Sasuke almost breathed a sigh of relief; he hadn't been turned away, and it also seemed as though he would be left to his own devices.

Bringing out a new notepad (a simple blue one with no embellishments other than a small, silver snowflake on the bottom left hand corner of the back cover) he flipped straight to the back and started on a plan; when he had been younger he had always caught an idea and just written the story as it came to him. Needless to say that back then, he did not have to deal with the abomination known as deadlines, nor had he actually completed many of his endeavours.

Eyes not leaving his works, he reached for his mug and brought it to his lips. Tipping it back, he was careful not to scold his tongue and breathed deeply as he was warmed and cooled at the same time.  
The rhythmic sound of a blunt pencil scraping rough paper made him lift his own pen again as he added small details to his outline, giving flesh to the bones on his page.  
He wasn't surprised when he spotted Arisa sidling over in his peripheral vision. As was his custom he nodded at her and then turned back to his notepad to indicate that he was not in the mood for idle banter.  
Swinging past his chair (thank God she'd taken the hint!), she peered over the shoulder of the other occupant of the table. This time the lady seemed aware of Arisa's presence though she did not look up to acknowledge her.  
Frown lines appeared between Arisa's brows as she studied the page before her.  
"What happened to the other picture, Hinata-san? I was hoping to see your progress on it today…"

As Sasuke reached for his mug again, she looked up. He was startled again by milky eyes that contrasted so greatly with her dark bangs. She glanced at him quickly before replying, "That one is just for practise… The piece I'm working on at the moment is a commission and although the deadline is still a while away I'd like to have it finished before continuing the other one."  
She offered Arisa a small smile before ducking her head again and focusing on her careful pencil strokes.

As Arisa meandered through tables to other customers, Sasuke's mug made the journey from his lips back to the table. In his peripheral vision he saw Miss Blue-Hair jump slightly in her seat.

Glancing around, he couldn't see what could have caused her to flinch again.

The sketchbook was placed on the table as she searched her pockets, eventually pulling out a mobile phone. As she scanned through her new message's contents, Sasuke's curiosity got the better of him and he peered at the 'work of art' before him.

'…And just _what_ is that supposed to be?'

Slipping her phone back into her pocket the blunette re-packed her bag, and after flipping it shut she rested the sketchbook on her lap.  
Quickly draining her mug, she then stood.  
Noticing Sasuke's attention on her she gave him a small nod of farewell before disappearing through the door, leaving behind something very rare: a rather confused Uchiha.

x X x

The paint-tipped brush ran across the canvas steadily, carefully giving colour to her mimicry of the bare sketch that she had balanced against the wall

Hinata glanced at her reference piece, then turned back to her canvas and added more colour. Taking a new brush she swapped from light brown to a creamy colour and repeated the process.

The corner, of her otherwise spotless living room, that she occupied looked out of place in her average sized apartment. In fact, the rest of the room looked pretty normal. Her 'Mini Studio' as she called it, consisted of an easel, hundreds of tubes of paint, many sketchbooks and stacks of completed works.

Soft music flowed to her ears from her ever faithful CD player and her flip-flop clad foot tapped along to the beat as she painted. In casual black capris and a purple tank top, the only precaution that she seemed to take from not splashing herself was the scruffy bun that kept her bangs from her view.

This time, she brought out one of the special horse haired brushes, dipping it into the black pool on her palette. Her new strokes, elegant but firm, kept the other colours from merging together, defining the image for the untrained eye. Sweat began to form on her forehead from the combination of concentration and the constant heat emitted by her radiators. She swiped at it absently leaving a streak of dark paint on her otherwise pale complexion.

She dipped the brush back into the black paint, bringing it back to the canvas.  
The phone rang.  
Hinata started at the sudden break in her concentration and thanked whatever God was listening that the brush had not yet reached her work.  
She quickly put down the brush before grabbing the phone from the table and answering it.

"Hyuuga Hinata here, how may I help you?"  
Hearing the voice at the other end of the line, she smiled.  
"Hanabi-chan! You sound tired… Is father overworking you?" The concern was evident in her voice, but she was quickly brushed off and told not to worry about it.  
"Ah, I see… Yes I've almost finished it; does it need to be delivered…? No?"  
There were a few more minutes passed in silence (save for the steady beat pumped out of the sound system) as Hinata listened. Then her eyes widened a fraction.  
"But how can I go? I'm supposed to have nothing to do with the painting other than being the _sister_ of the artist's _friend_!"  
After a few more minutes of insistant persuasion, she yielded with a sigh. It seemed that this was one argument that Hanabi would not let go: sometimes there was just no use in arguing with her stubborn sister – clearly this was one of those cases.  
"Ok, fine. What time do I need to arrive? Right. Well then I'll see you tomorrow."

She put the phone down and let out another sigh. It seemed as though she'd have to adjust her schedule for the rest of the week to compensate for Hanabi's request.

Shaking her head, resigned, Hinata made her way to her kitchenette. She needed a drink before she picked up her brush again.

x X x

"I still can't believe you're coming back!"  
Sasuke ran a hand through his hair in irritation as the blond on the other side of the phone chattered at him. He'd never admit it aloud but he had missed listening to the nonsense that tended to leave his friend's mouth at a mile a minute a little. Well he had before. Now he wasn't so sure anymore.

"And I can't believe you're making such a big deal out of this. Get over it," was his clipped response. He was beginning to regret answering the phone at all.

"But just when we stopped trying to convince you to come back, you returned by yourself. I just don't get you sometimes. Whatever. This calls for a celebration!"

At this, Sasuke couldn't suppress a groan.  
"Hey, don't worry about a thing. I know exactly what we can do." Naruto's voice was as cheerful as ever. "Susuke-teme, you free on Tuesday evening?"

Sasuke did a mental risk assessment. Of course he found a great number of reasons that he should decline the offer to go out and 'celebrate'. One was the scarring memory left behind by one particular 'celebration' in the past in which he had had to control both Naruto and Sakura whilst they were drunk ('as if they weren't enough trouble as it was' a disgruntled Sasuke had grumbled at the time).The cons of accepting the offer far outweighed the pros, but after knowing Naruto for as long as he had, he knew that the first few weeks back at work with him after saying 'no' was something that he would not wish upon anyone.

"Probably," he sighed, hoping that his non-committal answer would slip under the radar.  
It did.  
"Alright, I'll have everything arranged and get back to you with the details."  
In the background, Sasuke could hear a few loud bangs accompanied by a call of "Naruto?" Recognising the voice Sasuke gave an involuntary cringe and was glad when Naruto's panicked voice scrambled to say, "Gotta go Sasuke. Sakura-chan's here with some paperwork."  
"Hn. Wait, why is she bringing paperwork to your _house_?"  
"Ah, well the thing is I didn't quite fini-"  
Naruto's response was cut short as Sakura continued to pound his front door.  
"Damn it, if she damages the door again I'm done for! I'll call you about Tuesday, okay?"  
Sasuke wrinkled his nose in resignation; it looked as though the blond would persist until he completely relented.  
"Fine, fine. Later, you idiot." Sasuke cut the phone off before his friend could snap back a reply and sank into the sofa.

All he could really do now was hope that his former co-workers (and soon to be colleagues once again) had matured at least a little.

Though he seriously doubted it.

x X x

Mug, notebook and pen in hand, Sasuke didn't need to think twice for his feet to lead him in the direction of the table that he had been sitting at for the past two weeks. His mind clearly elsewhere (planning the first few paragraphs of the prologue of his next book), Sasuke didn't think to check whether his old spot was free.

Sliding into his chair he noted that for the first time, Miss Blue Hair (as he'd taken to mentally calling her) had not yet arrived. Shrugging it off, he took a long sip from his mug and flipped open his notebook, scribbling down notes as they came to him.

Every now and again, he'd raise his gaze as people walked by, unconsciously on the look out for the one who usually sat at this table.

Swallowing the last drops of coffee from his mug, Sasuke wrote his final words and rose to leave, sending a small nod in Arisa's direction when she glanced over.

As he pushed open the outer most doors, he realised that although he had savoured the silence that he was so used to, the absence of the soothing scraping of pencil against paper had somewhat been missed in that his progress today had been slow and halting as opposed to the steady flow of words spurred on by the almost rhythmic pencil strokes of the elapsed week or so.  
But he didn't dwell on it. Much.

x X x

As her doorbell rang, Hinata spared herself a quick glance in the mirror before trotting to the door and yanking it open.

"Neji nii-san-?"  
Whatever else she had intended to say (as surprised as she was) was cut short as her younger sister pushed by her and sauntered straight into the apartment.

The other, still waiting patiently at the door bowed slightly in greeting. This gesture was also halted, though this time by Hinata herself as she wrapped her arms around him in a quick hug. "Neji nii-san, it's been so long! I hadn't realised that you would be dragged into this too… Come in…" Pulling the door wider, she stepped aside to let the man in, smiling as he strode inside.  
"It was your father's wish that I accompany the two of you-"  
"Hina-chan!" Once again, Hanabi was the source of the interruption as she peered at the two others from the living room. "Can I borrow those pearl earrings – the dangly ones – please? Neji-nii, why are you still at the door?"

Neji's brows furrowed slightly at the youngest Hyuuga present.  
"Because," he explained coolly "manners dictate that one should be invited into a house rather than _charging in unannounced_."

Hanabi merely waved a dismissive hand at her cousin, instead turning to face her sister and demand, "Well, can I?"

The familiarity of the scene almost made Hinata feel as though she were still living with them, and she couldn't keep a smile off her face as she ushered Neji into the living room.

"Of course you can. Nii-san, if you want a drink or anything, just help yourself."  
Neji's response was a small nod, though due to Hanabi dragging her out of the room she almost missed the imperceptible movement.

After being towed to her room by her persistent sister, Hinata found her jewellery box and presented it to the other offering, "Take a look in here; I'm pretty sure it's in this box."  
Hanabi beamed and took the box, her fingers gliding over its contents, sifting until she found the ones that she wanted. Pulling them out and slotting them onto her ears, she turned back to Hinata, who had been returning the box to its former position she studied her sister from her position seated on the bed.

Hinata had chosen a combination of clothing for their 'outing' in a hurry, but it was suitably formal and comfortable. A light, lilac cotton shirt with a little green embroidery was accompanied by a knee-length skirt of the same shade of green. She had left her hair out, letting it fall past her shoulders and all in all, Hanabi summarised, it looked pretty good. But there was something missing…

Hinata noticed Hanabi's contemplative look and raised a brow of her own, wondering whether she _really_ wanted to know the thoughts behind the expression.  
"Hanabi…"  
"I've got it!"  
And that's when Hinata started to get _really_ worried.

x X x

"Thanks for getting us into this Konohamaru – I really owe you one."

Naruto was rewarded with a good natured grin and casual shrug as he, Sasuke and Sakura were lead to a table.  
"Yeah, I guess you _do_… I'll make sure to hold you to that as well," the other boy promised cheekily. Naruto ruffled Konohamaru's hair – much to the younger man's chagrin – as Sasuke glanced at his surroundings.

Somehow, Naruto had managed to arrange a table for the three of them (through Konohamaru) at the opening of a new restaurant… It seemed nice enough, though Sasuke was a little sceptical when Konohamaru informed them that the dishes served would be from all _over the world_ – getting the right combination could result in instant success. The wrong ones would spell disaster for the fledgling restaurant.  
The walls were a soft hue of blue and were decorated with the occasional painting – each seemingly from a different corner of the globe. His eyes swept over them briefly as he noted how the room seemed to gradually be filling. His attention was caught when Naruto gave out a particularly loud "Hey!"  
Taking a seat at the table at which they had halted, he wondered what had bothered the blond now.  
"What? I was just telling the truth; I was originally going to come with some acquaintances of my own but they had other engagements – so I have you guys for company instead." Konohamaru was informing Naruto. "Not to say that I don't know anyone else that's here, of course. Speaking of whom, I think I'll go and make my presence known." He grinned audaciously at them before weaving through the tables to his destination.  
Naruto, about to shout after him, was abruptly cut short by an elbow wedging itself firmly into his ribcage (courtesy of Sakura). Sakura chastised him for "being so damn loud" (completely disregarding how loud she herself was being in the process) as Naruto clutched his side comically gasping for air.  
Having spent so much time with the two of them already, Sasuke was used to such scenes and was well aware that he would have to suffer through such trivial incidents on a daily basis once more from now on. He chose to ignore them both and his eyes found Konohamaru again.

He seemed to be conversing with three others (who, from this angle, seemed eerily familiar). He was sure that he hadn't met them before, so why..?

x X x

"What are you doing here?!"  
Having finished her conversation with one of the Ureshino's, Hinata turned to regard her sibling, curious to discover who had provoked such a _dulcet_ tone from her beloved sister. Neji too, who stood beside her, stared on impassively with only a raised brow to indicate any interest in his youngest cousin's chatter.

"I could very well ask you the same thing," the young man opposite her replied with a smile tugging at his lips, humour evident in his gaze as he seemed to appraise her.

Hanabi's brows rose as she seemed to prepare a retort to hurl back at him, but was interrupted by a soft cough from Neji. Her eyes snapped to meet his as though she had forgotten that he was there. The plaintive look that she received caused her cheeks to be dusted pink, though the man opposite her continued to regard her without appearing to notice. Looking away quickly, she introduced him to her cousin and sister.

"Hinata, Neji-nii; this is Sarutobi Konohamaru, an acquaintance from college. Konohamaru, this is Hinata, my sister and Neji, my cousin."

Hinata smiled and answered, "Nice to meet you," and shook the offered hand whilst Neji just observed from behind her. "Ureshino-san has informed me that the waiters will be coming to take our orders shortly – Konohamaru-san, will you be joining us at our table?" she enquired politely. Konohamaru shook his head, and with a guarantee of his return, he left the Hyuuga's to take their own seats as he flounced away.

"So that was the famous Sarutobi Konohamaru…"Hinata murmured as her sister's head whipped around to eye her curiously.  
"Famous? You've heard of him somewhere?" Neji beat Hanabi to the query.  
"Well, Hanabi-chan used to mention him when she was at college, remember? So that was him…"  
Hanabi shifted uncomfortably in her seat as Neji scrutinised her. She was saved from having to answer whatever it was that he was intending to ask by the arrival of a waiter, who seemed to observe them with some amusement.  
Sparing her relatives a last affectionate (and exasperated) glance, Hinata turned to the waiter awaiting her order.  
"Ah, for the starter may I have the 'Tomato and Mascarpone Soup'…"

-Hollyrose-

**_AN:_** I'm really sorry for the huge wait - hopefully this chapter's length and quality will have made up for it (if not, feel free to tell me how to improve). No more college for a while, so hopefully I'll have some more time to spend on writing this; I'm going on holiday next week so I'm not sure how much I'll get done there since I've still got to finish this month's entry for DateMe as well...

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	5. Red Wine

_**Cocktail**_

_**Summary:**_ All he'd wanted was a mug of his favourite coffee. Was that so much to ask for? AU SasuHina

_**Disclaimer:**_ If I owned Naruto, SasuHina would be canon.

_Red Wine  
__**Curiosity killed the cat…**_

Feeling somebody jostle his shoulder to attract his attention, Sasuke turned to face the guilty party, his eyes meeting the sea green orbs belonging to one Haruno Sakura.

His face remained impassive as he surveyed the other, wondering how she had managed to distract Naruto long enough for her to be able to bother _him_, when she finally spoke.

"Sasuke, the waiter was asking what you wanted for your starter."

Sasuke blinked in response before briefly flicking his gaze over the menu, grunting "The 'Tomato and Basil Soup'." He sighed in a thoroughly bored manner.

Sakura threw an apologetic smile over her shoulder to the waiter, as if she were minding a spoilt son.

Sasuke paid her no heed; instead he turned back to observing the familiar looking trio sitting a few tables away from his own.

It seemed that Konohamaru had now parted from their company for his own table once more, and the three of them had taken their seats as they conversed amiably. Only two of the three's faces were visible from his angle, but Sasuke still could not shake the distant feeling of familiarity that struck him every time he glanced their way.  
One of the visible pair had long, brown hair tied midway down his – and it seemed that he was indeed male – back whilst the other seemed to share the inky blue-black that his own hair sported. Both individuals, however, had opalescent eyes which seemed to shimmer like the reflection of the moon in water. It was this feature that unsettled Sasuke the most.  
Of the third member of the group, only the hair and figure – undeniably female – could be discerned; straight blue-purple bangs flowed down her back, the odd lock flicking occasionally.  
A crease formed in Sasuke's brow – he still could not recall ever seeing the visible pair before (and in that case, he highly doubted that he'd ever met the third either).

His interest was tugged in a different direction as his self-imposed interrogation was interrupted by Naruto's boisterous voice.  
"I know you said that you were going to meet an 'acquaintance', but you didn't mention it being your _girlfriend_." He chuckled as heat visibly rose to Konohamaru's cheeks as he vehemently denied Naruto's claims – though this only served to cause the blonds grin to widen.  
"So if she _isn't_ your girlfriend," Naruto continued, his tone clearly unconvinced, "then who is she?"

Konohamaru shifted uncomfortably for a moment before opting to take his own seat. His arms folded to rest on the table, and when the waiter asked for his order he was grateful for the distraction. Though Naruto's penetrating gaze combined with Sasuke's steady stare and Sakura's curious lamps pushed him into submission.  
"Look, she's just a friend – no, _acquaintance_ – from when I was at college, okay? She was in the year above mine, so we only saw each other in a few free periods, and that was only because of mutual friends…" Konohamaru looked slightly forlorn as he recounted this, making even Naruto a little sceptical.  
"So, has she got a name?" As he had known would be the case, his simple query was greeted with shocked expressions. Sasuke merely raised a brow; he wasn't receiving any answers.  
Once Konohamaru had gotten over his initial shock, he did actually respond, "Hanabi; her name is Hanabi Hyu-" Cut off by the arrival of a man, he looked up and smiled, "Thank you for the invitation Ureshino-san; I look forward to the meal."  
Naruto marvelled at how civilised the boy had become from how he had been when he was younger as Sasuke frowned. The name did not sound familiar… Did he know any Hanabis personally?

The remainder of the meal was fairly uneventful; Konohamaru and Sakura gossiped as Naruto and Sasuke bickered. Sakura and Naruto chattered as Konohamaru gazed at Hanabi. Sasuke too found his eyes unconsciously trailing back to that table in particular.  
Apparently feeling his scrutiny, the brown haired male regarded him coolly, his own glittering orbs hardening into a stare as Sasuke returned the glare – he wasn't intimidated in the slightest.

Sasuke broke away from the staring contest smugly, his manner screaming 'How very juvenile' as he instead examined the various paintings adorning the walls.

He was ready to turn and scowl at Naruto (who had unwittingly managed to knock his wineglass over, spilling the contents onto Sasuke) for the drops of rouge now staining his jeans, when something else caught his attention.

A painting, meticulous in detail with colours ranging from muddy brown to vibrant orange. There stood an erupting volcano in the centre, painted in the traditional style of sumi-e, the colours bold and striking. A comedic feel was also created by softer shades, and Sasuke realised that instead of lava, the rocky mountain seemed to be divulging ramen noodles.  
The image of an incomplete sketch flashed in his memory and his head whipped around, his neck clicking awkwardly in the process.

The brown haired man noted his gaze once again, but Sasuke ignored him this time. The blue haired woman – Miss Blue Hair from Arisa's of course! – seemed to sense him watching her. She tilted her head to the side slightly as she scanned the room, finally blinking in recognition when she found him. Her reaction to his presence was more dignified than his own, sending a small smile and nod in his general direction before continuing her conversation with – Hanabi, was it? – and Ureshino, the restaurant's owner.

A thought struck him like a tonne of bricks, though his moment of epiphany was disrupted as the sounds around him brought him back down to earth; Sakura berating Naruto for his clumsiness, Naruto trying to apologise to him, Konohamaru not even bothering to conceal his chuckles.

He wasn't sure whether he was relieved that Naruto had managed to spill his wine – less for him to drink – or annoyed that he'd now have to scrub the stain off his jeans.

One thing he did know was the one Miss Blue Hair from Satoshi and Arisa's Tea House had suddenly become of great interest to him.

x X x

"Neji-nii, is something wrong?"

Having just finished a discussion with Ureshino-san, Hinata blinked, looking from her curious sister to her cousin, who seemed to be frowning to himself.

"Nii-san?" Hinata prodded with concern.

His gaze, which seemed to be intent on something far into the distance, came back into focus as he surveyed her calmly. Only a slight twitch in his brow indicated any agitation. "It's just that…" Neji shook his head. "It's nothing."

Hinata and Hanabi exchanged a conspiratorial glance as they both wondered what was on his mind.

x X x

He entered the café without much thought, placing his order as usual before pausing and requesting a hot Panini too; skipping lunch, it turned out, was not the smartest of decisions, but he had to admit; he had been able to complete some much needed work and although it had been unpleasant, that phone call to Kusunagi Publisher's had been necessary.

Sinking into the chair opposite Miss Blue Hair without bothering to check for another unoccupied table (the one formerly occupied by himself was also free), he took a long draught from his mug feeling some tension leave his shoulders.

The lady opposite him gave a small smile in a way of greeting, continuing her steady progress on whatever it was that she was working on, only stopping briefly to sip her drink before continuing.

As for himself, Sasuke made a start on his Panini; had he lacked self control in the way that Naruto did (when it came to food anyway) he probably would have wolfed the whole thing down in one go. As it was he calmly savoured his lunch as his eyes travelled over the expanse of the café.

Gaze roaming the walls, he quickly found what it was he sought; a new painting placed above the sofas on the other side of the room.  
Appropriately enough this painting depicted a mug filled with a dark substance (quite possibly the same black coffee that he had noted that its creator – whose identity he had all but confirmed – always had). The mug and the saucer upon which it rested a soft cream colour, contrasting with the colour it contained, seemed to be floating on the undisturbed water. The substance within the mug emitted steam which curled and coiled forming barely perceptible shapes against a darkened sky; the silhouette of a child curled up with a book, another clutching a teddy, a rocking horse and an old fashioned tea pot, a plate of cookies, a single rose and a pile of feathers… each coil spinning a tale of the memories of childhood weaved nostalgically within the layers of paint which the picture was made of.

Although the stylistic features of the painting were entirely different to those of the ramen-volcano, Sasuke couldn't deny that something tied the two paintings together.

Sasuke took a bite of his Panini and glanced thoughtfully across the table at the woman across him, completely engrossed in her picture. Yes, it was definitely her. He was almost certain of it.

His only perceivable problem was how he would approach her…

The opportunity presented itself to him with no effort required on his part at all. Sasuke had finished his Panini and was contentedly sipping his latte when it arose in the form of a ringing mobile phone. Miss Blue Hair's to be precise.

Sasuke noted with amusement that she started at the noise erupting from her pocket but soon averted his gaze to study another painting instead of her. He could make out her soft voice but did not listen to the words she uttered. That is, until she had gotten up to stand beside him.

"Um, excuse me?" It took him a moment to realise her voice was now next to his ear and being directed at him intentionally before he turned to face her; she now had the phone in her hand with her fingers stretching over the receiver as she spoke to him. "I'm sorry to bother you, but would you mind keeping an eye on my belongings just as long as I answer this call? It's breaking up in here because of bad reception…"

Sasuke's usual response to such a request – when made by friends let alone strangers – was to scowl at them. If that was not enough to send them scurrying he put to use the vast store of scathing remarks he kept locked away in his brain for such times.

It was in his best interest to keep them to himself; he nodded mutely instead.

She seemed satisfied with this, however, and made her way to the door. She positioned herself so that she would be able to see from outside if he tried to walk off with her possessions; so she wasn't completely naïve after all.

Having been given this chance Sasuke did not intend to let it slip away; he reached across the table and grasped the sketchbook which had been left closed on the table, glancing surreptitiously at the window to see its owner frowning and speaking into the phone, momentarily distracted from her surveillance of him.

Settling comfortably back into his chair he opened the book to the first clean page.

A pencil sketch of an archaic looking mansion surrounded by trees was revealed, and again Sasuke was impressed by the attention given to detail.  
The next page was another picture of the same mansion though this time in charcoal and seemingly drawn at a different time of day judging from the differing positions of light and shadow.

The next few pages were filled with pictures of people, some including Miss Blue Hair herself and some without. One dated back to about six months ago, a self portrait it seemed. In a couple he also recognised the other two that he had seen accompanying the artist at the restaurant the other day.

The three of them appeared in another picture, though this one did not seem to be drawn so seriously with big eyes and small bodies. In the middle was a shy looking blue haired girl with pink staining her cheeks and fiddling with her sleeves. On her right was an energetic looking black haired girl with a mischievous grin and on the left was an irritated brown haired boy with a glare that Sasuke recognised and a vein on his forehead to echo his sentiments. Sasuke almost cracked a grin as he turned the page.

The next page was another self portrait, more recent than the other marked both by the date of completion and the improvement in the picture.

The following page was the last which was not plain and had not yet been dated. It was this piece which made Sasuke's usually apathetic eyes fly wide open in surprise.

Staring back up at him was a tired, disgruntled looking incomplete depiction of himself with a mug of coffee raised to his lips. His eyes had a sharp clarity about them, which he accredited to the mug shown in his grasp.

He could remember having portraits of himself made on a school trip to Paris though the result of those had been completely different to what he saw here; the caricatures were overly humorous as was the intention, and the portraits were just… too perfect. Others had thought the resemblance to be uncanny (though they tended to be the ones who thought that _**he**_ was perfect; what a foolish notion!) but Sasuke couldn't see himself in them. Not the way he did in this one.

He stole another glance outside and it seemed as though she was saying her last words to her caller. Grabbing one of the pencils on the table he scribbled a note and turned back a few pages.

x X x

A slight crease in her brow, Hinata slid her mobile wearily into her pocket as she edged between tables and approached her own, her mind already longing for more black coffee and fingers itching restlessly for a pencil. As she came closer to her destination her lips parted in surprise. The man with whom she had recently been sharing a table was idly sipping his drink (his plate now completely empty) as he turned the page of her sketchbook.  
Not yet sure what to make of this scene, Hinata slid slowly back into her seat. As she took her mug from the table, the man started, looking a little uneasy as he met her eyes; and why not? His situation was comparable to being caught rifling through another's handbag.

In an attempt to break the awkward silence Hinata bravely attempted conversation. From what she could remember of him, the man was not fond of prolonged speech but she didn't really care much at this point.  
"Um… Thank you for keeping an eye on things here,"  
He raised a brow as if to remark 'that's one way of putting it,' and she smiled back sheepishly.  
The man sighed, closing the book with care before leaning over the table to return it to its rightful owner. "Sorry for looking without asking; I was curious…"  
He wasn't looking at her anymore, his face turned to the side. She recognised his expression as one that Neji often wore when he apologised – it was a sight she didn't get to see often.  
"I-it's okay, I guess," was Hinata's response as she belatedly wondered whether his attention had fallen on her latest sketch. Her cheeks grew warm at the thought.

Hinata had thought that to be the extent of their exchange taking into his apparent lack of interest in conversing and her own aversion to speaking when it could be avoided, so his next question took her completely off guard.  
"Do you have a portfolio or anything that you would show to prospective clients?"  
Hinata blinked. She hadn't expected _that_.  
All business now and apparently more comfortable with speaking now that it was on his own terms, he fixed his eyes on her as her mind scrambled to answer.  
"Actually, I have a few paintings in this month's exhibition at a nearby gallery; tomorrow's the last night… b-but yes, I do have a portfolio though it's not with me right now."  
He gazed at her speculatively for a moment, using her pause to lift his own mug to his lips. Setting it down again, he spoke.  
"Could I have the details for this exhibition? I'm interesting in requesting a commissioned piece, though I'd like to see more of your work before coming to a decision."  
Again, Hinata bliked.  
Whatever explanation she had been expecting, it certainly hadn't been that.

x X x

Stepping out of the rain and into the shelter of the gallery, Sasuke shook out his umbrella.

Truth be told, he hadn't thought that his plan to approach Miss Blue Hair about her art would go – well, he wouldn't exactly call it _smoothly_ but – well enough for him to be able to observe more of it so soon; her somewhat meek personality had been what he had envisioned to being his greatest obstacle in requesting to view her portfolio, for if he could not even bring up the subject in conversation then he'd be back to square one.

Even so, she had seemed a little hesitant as she scribbled down the details of the exhibition in a page from a small notebook she had pulled from her handbag. As she tore out the piece of paper and handed it to him, she seemed to be studying him. He had been surprised when she had said (without a single stumble) "After what you've seen already, I'm sure that you will be able to tell which pieces are by me… If they are to your taste, feel free to contact me." She had then nodded at the paper he held (when he later turned it over he found an e-mail address and mobile phone number scrawled across the back) and excused herself.

The sudden contrast in attitude had amused him, and he was quite conscious of the fact that she had not introduced herself – this had fuelled his curiosity in both the art and the artist herself.

The gallery itself was quaint – not quite quirky enough to be labelled 'obscure' but filled with enough originality to feel refreshing. The paintings here were not permanent residents – just temporary tenants biding their time until they travelled to replace _other_ paintings elsewhere, as they in turn were replaced.

At a glance he could see no reoccurring feature which tied all of the present paintings together for which they would all be in the same exhibition, though admittedly he wasn't actually particularly interested in this matter.

Ignoring the over exuberant greeting form the desk to his right, Sasuke deposited his drenched umbrella in the provided basket heading straight to the nearest wall, inspecting each painting for any traces of that great combination of boundless imagination rooted firmly in reality that he had experienced in his other encounters with her work.

As he eyed the third column of pictures carefully, his eyes widened.

'Ah ha!'

A square canvas had been skewed to the side so that it really resembled a diamond, though from the way that the pictures on it were presented, it was intentional. Separated into four equal panels (in the same way as a traditional window), each 'window' had an identical figure in the middle; a little girl. She looked completely ordinary; the colours used muted and tame, her eyes dull and hair lank. In the topmost corner, her shadow was the silhouette of a doctor, towering behind her in the place a shadow would take at noon, injection in hand and clad in a lab coat. To the right at the three o'clock position, the same girl's shadow (not positioned to correspond to the approximate place for a shadow to appear at three o'clock in the afternoon) now held a tennis racquet and ball, sweat band and tennis dress in place, complete with a visor. Six o'clock's shadow held an elegant posture as she put bow to string on her violin, nine o'clock leaning over an easel with a paintbrush in at her fingertips (positioned to reflect their times respectively). The background was an unassuming hue of light blue, enhancing the overall darkness of the picture and emphasising the solid shapes depicted.  
The small plaque beneath the canvas stated:

"_Unbidden Dreams_"

_Tomoko Himura_

His eyes quickly sought out three more pieces by the same artist, now completely certain that he had the right ones; two of the three illustrated varied abstract ideas, all tied together by the general style. The third was quite another matter, however.

Again, this one was a canvas with acrylic paint, but this time the subject matter took a more morbid turn.

The main feature this time was a pool of blood in which the barrel of a gun was reflected. Its owner still had their hand on the trigger. The painting consisted of only black outlines and varying shades of red, only breaking this trend for the solitary, pale blue tear that ran down the boy reflected's cheek.

Sasuke felt his stomach lurch slightly as he realised that it was constructed to position viewers in the perspective of the one lying on the ground; it was slightly reminiscent of the penultimate scene in the second book of the trilogy he had just completed writing.

He allowed himself one more, fleeting look at the exhibition before turning on his heel and striding back in the direction of the door. He glanced at his watch briefly. He'd been there for half an hour. Depositing a small donation into the provided box, he retrieved his umbrella and exited the gallery, pulling his mobile from his pocket as he did so. He had a call to make.

x X x

Rinsing the last of the washing up liquid from her hands, Hinata stole a glance at the table; it wouldn't do for there to be any of the residue of her dinner on the table if she was to get her laptop out. Finding it to be of an acceptable standard of cleanliness, she dried her hands and took out her laptop, sliding into a seat, waiting for it to load up whilst tapping her foot with impatience.

As was her routine, she opened an internet window to check her e-mail (she was by no means popular, but she preferred to be as prompt to those she received as possible).  
There was one new e-mail in her inbox, and from an address she did not recognise.  
Curious, she opened it,

_Ms Himura_

_Having spoken to you yesterday, I have visited the exhibition in which your artwork was featured and am interested in placing an order for commission._

_I am an author and would like to speak to you about cover art for my next book, so would it be possible to arrange a meeting with yourself and my editor to discuss the nature of the work, and for my editor to view your portfolio if possible?_

_If you would like to look into my work before coming to a decision as to whether or not you would like to meet, I write under the name 'Haru Umeda'._

_I look forward to hearing from you either way,_

_Haru Umeda_

_(The Guy Who Sits At Your Table At Arisa's)_

Well, it certainly was interesting; it seemed that he was aware that she had purposefully neglected to give him her name and had reciprocated in a similar manner (as strange as it sounded in writing): she supposed that she would discover his real name if they met, and vice versa.

She was just reaching for the 'reply' button when her fingers paused, as if suddenly remembering something.  
Crossing her living room to climb around her easel, Hinata plucked her sketchbook from her stool and flicked through it as she settled in front of the laptop again.  
When she had been initially approached by the odd man in the coffee shop, it had occurred to her that he may have seen the work-in-progress sketch of him, though she hadn't dared to confirm those suspicions.

As she now turned to the page concerned, her eyes widened. On the blank page opposite was an unfamiliar script.

_Even if you decide against it, I hope you'll show me the finished piece._

-Hollyrose-

_**A/N:**_ Again, I can only really apologise for the long wait (University applications have kept me quite busy), but I hope that you enjoyed the chapter (if you're still reading, that is); finally we have some progress! Hopefully it'll get even more interesting from here...

If you're wandering about the pseudonyms:  
Himura Tomoko - H and T from the beginning of the first and last syllables of Hinata's name  
Umeda Haru - U and Ha from the first and last syllables of Uchiha

As usual, if you have any comments/constructive criticism etc. feel free to drop me a review. (I have been back and altered the mistakes I could pick up in the previous four chapters but if I've missed anything please let me know).

Until next time!


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